Apply to Curlture Salon’s Paid 18-Month Hair Apprenticeship
Hair Apprenticeship to Be a Curl Specialist
Get hands-on practice
We provide hands-on training in the salon, and a space for experimentation with the support of all team members. You’ll start with mannequins and move onto live models. We are known for being an education salon for both our team members as well as our guests, and we feel the best way to learn is to do. Our favorite form of education is hands on with our curl lessons being interactive and customized to our guests.
Gain Curly Hair Expertise
Investing in a specialized education for curly hair is a smart move. With the growing trend of embracing natural curls, the demand for curl specialists is on the rise each year. By mastering the art of curly hair care, you tap into a market where demand consistently outstrips supply. Moreover, specialized training doesn’t just guarantee a steady flow of clients; it also brings job satisfaction and stability.
Become part of a team
We are a team-based salon and we do things differently than most salons:
- We offer a successful, long-lasting career
- We put our employees first
- We share clients & inspiration
- We are always learning
- We spend more time with each client
- We care for clients’ hair & heart: We listen and embrace them just as they are
- Benefits start with 2 weeks paid vacation and accumulate paid sick leave over time.
- Communication is as a much a part of the job as cutting hair
- We never compromise on quality
Increase Income Potential
This is a paid position. Earn while you learn the skills needed for a career as a curl specialist.
You’ll also start with 2 weeks paid vacation and accumulate sick pay as you work.
Curly-haired individuals understand the value of a well-executed cut and are willing to invest in it.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to elevate your career and cater to a clientele who truly appreciates your skills.
Things to Know
- We work exclusively with curly haired clients
- No previous experience with curly hair required
- You need to have a California Cosmetology License
- We don’t do perms
Become a Curl Specialist
Master All Types of Curly Hair
Most Cosmetology Schools Leave Graduates Unprepared for Natural Hair
American cosmetology schools often focus solely on teaching techniques for straight hair, leaving graduates unprepared to handle textured hair. Most state exams barely touch on natural hair care, with any discussion of textured hair usually limited to learning how to relax it.
Certain upscale salons may outright refuse to cater to clients with dense curls — particularly afro-textured curls — citing them as “too challenging” for their stylists. Or, stylists attempt to fight against the curls, striving for a straightened, sleek look conforming to singular view of “beauty,” resulting in substandard, frustrating damaged hair. Curly hair is frequently misunderstood, and many have experienced hair trauma.
We’re putting a stop to that!
- Stop fighting against curls.
- Stop damaging and drying out hair with heat and chemicals.
- Avoid noxious fumes and burns from toxic hair dyes and relaxants.
- Stop following a narrow standard of beauty that ignores what’s naturally beautiful about a person.
- Stop using conditioners that actually make hair dry, dull, damaged and brittle.
- Stop feeling insecure about your ability to cut natural hair.
- From our hair apprenticeship, you will have the knowledge and confidence to adapt any haircut trend to best fit your clients curls.
We are sensitive to past hair trauma some may have experienced, and go above and beyond to ensure our guests feel comfortable and heard in our space. For this reason, we provide our Curl Specialists with 18-months of education and hands-on training in our hair salon apprenticeship. We love all types of curls and are excited to help everyone embrace their natural beauty!
“In beauty school, we lacked proper education on curls, and the little we did learn was insufficient. However, when I finished school and started working at Curlture Salon, it was like a breath of fresh air. I was warmly welcomed with open arms, grace, and love.
This place is not just about doing hair. When you start your journey here it is going to be a growth journey for yourself just as much as your craft. You will learn how to work as a team with others to create a beautiful result, communicate directly and respectfully.
The feeling of being able to not only teach, but also help guide someone through learning how to love their curls while I am on the same journey is incomparable.
This place has not only helped me to embrace my curls, but embrace myself and all the uncertainties life throws at me because I know that this team is always only one phone call away whether we are at work or not. This team is family. This team is love.
About Curlture Salon
The salon for curly hair — located in Santa Rosa, Calif.
At Curlture Salon we are known for being an education focused salon for both our team members as well as our guests. We feel the best way to learn is to do. Our favorite form of education is hands on with our curl lessons being interactive and customized to our guests. It is our mission for all of our guests to leave with a better understanding of their hair and a routine that they can follow to replicate their in-salon results at home.
Our education for our stylists also mirrors this hands-on interactive approach in what we call our hair Apprenticeship Program.
Hair Apprenticeship FAQ
What is covered in our 18-month Hair Apprenticeship?
We start with learning the flow of a team based salon as well as expanding on the hair basics learned in beauty school as it relates to the practical application of curly hair. (You do not need to have any prior knowledge of curly hair we will cover it all!)
We then move into learning all of the education involved in our New Client Packages which is fundamental to all of our first time client experiences and the basic styling techniques used to create beautifully hydrated and defined curls. This includes:
- Bringing in models and working on teammates to get the feel of the new client packages and experiment with products and application techniques.
- We also cover all dry curly hair sculpting techniques including curl by curl, projection and air sculpting and how to apply these techniques to all different curl types and styles. We cover this in what we call Model Night.
- Whether it be sculpting a perfect classic rounded haircut or a more layered shag like style, you will have the knowledge and confidence to adapt any haircut trend to best fit your clients curls.
Once you have mastered all curly haircutting and styling techniques, we then move into what we call Accelerated Model Nights where you get to apply your learned skills to back to back models throughout regular salon hours to build your confidence as a curl specialist as well as begin experiencing what a normal salon day will look like for you as a stylist!
What is our process for education for our hairstylist Apprentices?
1. Hands on training in the salon, space for experimentation with the support of all team members. We are known for being an education salon for both our team members as well as our guests, and we feel the best way to learn is to do. Our favorite form of education is hands on with our curl lessons being interactive and customized to our guests.
2. Weekly one on one education with our educators (18 months). Our 18 month education program is a culmination of the years of practice and experimentation from our entire team. It fully encompasses all of the knowledge we hold as curl specialists and we could not be more excited to share this with future stylists on our team!
Education catered for all learning styles:
- Hands on practice from mannequins to live models
- Demos/ written resources for reading learners
- Theory with our educators or our auditory learners
4. Outside education classes provided by the salon to further expand on any areas of curly hair specialty. At Curlture Salon we are here to support your career growth in any and all ways within curly hair specialty.
What does it takes to be a curl specialist?
We look for team members who are open to receiving and giving feedback and tips. We welcome innovation and we strive to continue to grow and expand our salon education with the help of the creative minds of all team members.
The perfect match for our education program is anyone who is ready to take their career to the next level by specializing in a growing industry with limitless career opportunities and the support of an equally driven team along the way.
Why do we focus so much on education before becoming a stylist?
We are sensitive to the previous hair trauma that some of our clients may have experienced and we feel that all of our guests deserve to feel comfortable and heard in our space. We focus so much on the education of our team members for this reason. All of our team members have completed our 18 month education program and have shown mastery in all curly hair sculpting and styling upon completion of the program.
Regardless of whose chair they are in, our guests will always receive a consistent and luxurious curl service.
We are working to help rewrite the salon experience for curly haired people one curly hair specialist at a time.
What are model nights? How do Hair Apprentices get real Experience?
Model Nights are education focused opportunities for our skilled apprentice stylists to practice their curly hair cutting, styling, and education skills with the assistance of our salon educators on models.
Model Nights take place on Thursday evenings and are open to all guests new and existing who are interested in being a model to support our education program.
Our models receive an amazing curly hair service by our apprentices for a discounted price and our apprentices receive the opportunity to perform a full service from start to finish as a curl specialist!
*(Prices and services offered at model night with estimated timing)
“When I joined the Curlture team, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a team-based salon environment. I was pleasantly surprised to be welcomed into the space and met immediately with mutual respect and kindness as I learned the flow of the salon. I had never been part of a work environment where everyone was able to communicate and be seen as equals regardless of how long they had been part of the team.
I got to work each day along side passionate stylists who took my education just as seriously as I did by taking every possible opportunity to teach me whether it be with their clients or during model nights. I stepped into this program with only the curly hair knowledge I had from my own experience with my hair, but with education at the salon’s forefront I was able to complete my apprenticeship and confidently step into being a stylist.
When I became a stylist, I was able to explore and expand on my cutting techniques and begin forming relationships with my clients as I got to show them their curls sometimes for the first time, which is what really lit my fire and became my inspiration.
I don’t think I would have grown in my career as quickly or as confidently if I was doing it all on my own. Being part of a team based salon allowed me to not worry about the business side of things and just focus on finding what I felt most fulfilled doing.
I truly love what I do and everyday I get to continue to meet new teammates with the same kindness and excitement to see them learn and grow as I was met with. I look forward to continuing to grow my passion for teaching and making curly hair education more accessible to all people and I look forward to doing that all with my team.